Whether Yates, who is recovering from major facial surgery after an awful collision with a team mate, or Aspin, who does still look in good shape at 52, could have brightened up Vale is at least worth considering.

After all, this was the sort of game where fans, whether warmed by several pre-match pints, or a hip-flask and blanket across the knees, must have watched the action and mused ‘I’m not sure I could actually do any worse.”

Port Vale drew 1-1 at home to Yeovil

This was dreadful, woeful, terrible…take your pick. Aspin certainly did when he was handed the microphone and said the Vale hadn’t deserved anything from an ‘awful’ performance.

That’s one of the refreshing things about Aspin’s appointment. Fans don’t have to listen to a manager’s interview and wonder if he has been watching the same game they have.

Read More

He doesn’t try to insult your intelligence, which means when he tries to make a point you are inclined to take him seriously.

Chris Regis would be well advised to take the manager seriously. Vale were desperately missing a driving force in midfield with an eye for goal in this game, so it was fair to ask Aspin why Regis wasn’t even on the bench.

Port Vale's new signing Chris Regis

Did it show the competition for places at Vale Park? Nope, Aspin explained, it showed that he is hugely brassed off with the midfielder because of his attitude off the pitch.

That’s that then. It’s not about individuals, it’s whether Aspin feels they can contribute to the team and the team-spirit he and his staff have created at Vale Park.

That, after all, is how the manager has transformed the same group of players who were in desperate straits when he took over.

It has to be said, this performance was not only Vale’s worst under Aspin, it was even worse than some of the pre-Aspin games – yes that bad - and yet the Vale still found a way to get a point.

Read More

It’s customary at this point to talk about steel, grit, refusal to be beaten and more…and that did play a part in Vale’s comeback.

But let’s be honest they were also helped out by a Yeovil side whose finishing was worse than Eric Bristow’s when he had the yips – one for the younger readers there.

Vale didn’t really get going until the 85th-minute when David Worrall went down over a challenge from Omar Sowumni. Referee David Webb eventually pointed to the spot and Tom Pope did the rest as he walloped the ball into the top corner. Thanks for coming Yeovil.

Tom Pope celebrates his goal against Yeovil

Despite Yeovil’s earlier dominance it was hard to have too much sympathy for them because they had spent much of the second half slowing the game down. It’s probably ‘being professional’ or ‘game management’ when your own team is doing it. But it doesn’t half wind up fans who one minute see players zipping after a ball, and the next slouching about with all the enthusiasm of a kid whose note to be excused from PE has been exposed as a fraud.

Read More

Yeovil even managed to waste time before kick off with their group huddle. Local council seminars on bin collections have been shorter. If you missed the last bus home, please direct your complaints to Huish Park, Somerset.

But for all that, the Glovers actually played very well, looking a much better side than the one the Valiants had encountered over three previous meetings.

Yeovil fans must have been thinking exactly the opposite of Vale as the Valiants played like 11 strangers rather than ten of the same starting eleven who had wiped the floor with leaders Luton in their previous home match.

The one exception was Gavin Gunning who left after getting a better deal from Forest Green. The versatile left-sided defender’s departure has left Aspin with a gap to fill and we understand he missed out on deals for both a defender and midfielder last week.

Despite that frustration, he was entitled to expect his existing players to do much better than this, yet that never looked likely from the 11th minute when Francois Zoko beat Ryan Boot from long-range.

Yeovil should have won, Vale were abysmal….but let’s put this into context. The Valiants are still nine points clear of the relegation zone, having been clear only on goal difference when Aspin took over at the start of October.